Chapter Eight: Unveiling the Truth

David stared at the sneakers in the box, the deep purple color gleaming under the light. “Great,” he muttered, lifting one up for a closer look. “These will match my scales.”

“Your what?” both his mom and Kelly said in unison, their voices sharp with confusion.

David froze, his mind racing. Crap, why did I say that out loud?

“My dragon… oh, umm… these are really pretty.” He trailed off, trying to backtrack, but his mom wasn’t having it. Her expression hardened, and she crossed her arms.

“You better sit right here and explain,” she said firmly, pointing at the couch. “No hiding anything, David. We’re family.”

Kelly nodded, sliding into the chair across from him. “Yeah, spill it. What’s going on?”

David sat down heavily, letting out a deep sigh. “Fine,” he said, his voice resigned. “It started the night of my birthday. I put on this medallion because I thought it looked cool. That night, I had a dream about a dragon war. This green dragon called me her child and said I was in danger and needed to awaken my powers.”

He glanced at their faces, noting their growing confusion, but continued. “The next day, you know what happened—I passed out. Before I woke up in the hospital, I had another dream about the dragon. She told me I needed to find my flame. She flew me to this temple—it looked like something from ancient China. Inside were all these carvings of dragons fighting humans and each other.”

Kelly leaned forward, her eyes wide. “And then?”

“I followed this path that led down to a giant cavern,” David explained, his voice becoming steadier. “There were statues of dragons everywhere, and in the center of the room, there were flames of different colors. Green, red, black, white, purple, gold, silver… they were all there. A loud voice told me to look into my heart and choose my flame. I didn’t understand at first, but when I closed my eyes, I just… knew. I was drawn to the purple flame.”

His mom and Kelly listened in stunned silence as he continued. “When I touched it, the flame covered my entire body. It didn’t hurt—it felt… right. When it faded, I felt different. I looked at myself and realized…” He paused, his voice catching as the realization hit him fully. “I realized I was a dragon—with iridescent purple scales.”

He stopped speaking, his eyes darting between his mom and Kelly, who both stared at him, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief, their minds struggling to comprehend the unbelievable revelation. Then, as the memory sank in deeper, another thought hit him like a ton of bricks.

“Shit,” he said aloud, his eyes widening. “I was a female dragon.”

Kelly blinked, leaning back in her chair. “Wait, what?”

David rubbed his temples, feeling both overwhelmed and oddly calm simultaneously, a testament to his resilience in the face of such a drastic change. “It makes sense now. The dragon—she said my body was preparing for my dragon form. That’s why all these changes are happening.”

His mom sat down slowly, her face pale but thoughtful. “David… or whoever you’re becoming… you’re saying this medallion, these dreams—they’re changing you into… this dragon?”

David nodded. “Yeah. And I don’t think it’s going to stop.”

The room fell into a heavy silence as the weight of David's words, laden with the implications of his transformation, settled over them, casting a solemn pall over the room.

David’s mom broke the silence, her voice hesitant but firm. “But… magic isn’t real.”

David met her gaze, his expression a mix of frustration and conviction. “You saw what happened upstairs before lunch,” he said. “I don’t understand it either, but within my new memories, I know that it’s real. I’m just as confused as you are.”

Kelly tilted her head, frowning. “Wait—‘new memories’? What does that even mean?”

David sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s like… when the scroll disappeared, it left something behind. Bits and pieces of knowledge about magic, dragons, and all this stuff that doesn’t make sense. I thought they were just dreams, but now… I don’t think they were.”

His mom’s expression softened, though her confusion didn’t fade. “So you’re saying… what? That this medallion, these dreams—they’re all connected? And they’re changing you?”

“Yes,” David replied quietly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

David’s mom crossed her arms, her worry evident as she looked at him. “Then take off the medallion tonight,” she said firmly. “See if it helps fix this.”

David hesitated, reaching up to touch the medallion hanging around his neck. It felt warm, almost comforting, as though it had become a part of him. “I… I can try,” he said reluctantly, though the thought of removing it filled him with unease.

“Just for tonight,” his mom pressed, her voice softening. “Let’s see if it makes a difference.”

“Okay,” David replied, though deep down, he doubted it would change anything.

As David’s dad walked through the door, he barely had time to set down his briefcase before his wife pulled him into the living room. Her face was tense, her words spilling out as she recounted everything that had happened while he was gone—David’s changes, the scroll, the medallion, and the story about dragons.

He listened in silence, his brow furrowing deeper with each passing moment. When she finished, he looked between her and David, his skepticism clear.

“Are you saying,” he began slowly, “that our son is turning into a… dragon?”

David shrugged, his expression weary. “I don’t have a better explanation, Dad. You’ve seen what’s happening to me. Can you come up with anything that makes more sense?”

His dad opened his mouth as if to argue but stopped, shaking his head. “I… no, I can’t,” he admitted reluctantly. “None of this makes any sense.”

David’s mom placed a hand on her husband’s arm, her voice softer now. “It doesn’t make sense, but it’s happening. We must support him through this, even if we don’t fully understand.”

David hesitated, his voice trembling as he looked at his parents. “Mom, Dad, are you still going to love me if I… if I keep changing?” His eyes glistened, and it was clear he was holding back tears.

His mom immediately hugged him, her voice gentle but firm. “Of course, honey. You’re our son—or daughter, maybe… whatever happens, we will always love you.”

His dad placed a hand on David’s shoulder, nodding. “Your mom’s right. We don’t care what you look like or what changes come. You’re still you, and you’re still our child.”

David blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears, but the relief in their words washed over him like a wave. For the first time in days, he allowed himself to feel a small sense of comfort. “Thanks,” he whispered. “I needed to hear that.”